More In Your Life

From the Archives, June 17

Posted: Jun. 17, 2018 12:01 am

150 years ago

June 18, 1868

A case of suspended animation reported

On Lorain Street, above Jersey, there resides with her stepfather, a young lady, Miss Ellen K. White, who is probably between 17 and 18 years of age, very prepossessing in her manner, and very finely educated. About six weeks ago she was taken dangerously ill with what the family physician pronounced typhoid fever, and for some days she was so low that all hopes of her recovery were given up. She rallied, however, and under careful nursing, and skillful treatment, she was in a fair way to recover, when about two weeks ago she had a relapse, and sank rapidly, until the breath seemed to leave her body, and she was pronounced a corpse. Her body was prepared for the grave, and preparations were made by her bereaved parents and friends for the funeral, when her mother, who could not be made to realize the fact that her only daughter was dead forever, noticed that though the limbs of her daughter were rigid, yet the body retained its warmth. Physicians were called, but they decided that she was dead, and every attempt to resuscitate her failing, it was determined last Sunday to consign her to the grave, and a coffin was procured. On Saturday, while one of the neighbors and the mother were standing by the side of the supposed corpse, the door, which had been left open, blew shut with a loud noise, which had the effect of so acting upon the girl as to bring her to, and set her life-blood in motion. She sprang up in bed, and throwing her arms around her mother's neck, wept tears of joy over her escaped from the horrid death of being buried alive. Our reporter yesterday visited the house, and was granted an interview with the young lady. Miss White said that when she felt herself sinking she had no fear of death, but turned upon her side, and as she did so all pain disappeared, and she sank to sleep as peacefully as a child. She lay, she thinks, unconscious for an hour or more, for when she came to herself, though she could not move or speak, she found that she was laid out for burial. She could see her mother by her side, and all those who came to see her; could hear them talk and understood all they said. She tried to speak to them, but her tongue refused to do its office; she tried to move, but could not; and there she lay, blessing her mother for her refusal to allow her to be buried. Upon two occasions, when her mother was alone in the room with her, it seemed as though she left the body, and standing by the side of her body, could look down upon it as she could upon her mother. She said she was unable to describe the feeling she experienced upon those occasions. When not tortured with the fear of being buried alive, she was perfectly at rest, perfectly happy, and when the door slammed, which brought her to, it seemed as though she was, to use her own words, "compelled to commence a hard day's work."

125 years ago

June 22, 1893

A lake's mystery unveiled

The body of young William Stecker was found floating in Lake Hopatcong on Wednesday morning last, after being missing for six months. Its finding unveils a mystery which has been the subject of conversation in the settlements about the entire lake since the disappearance of Stecker last ecember. About twilight on December 12 last, Stecker, who was nineteen years of age, left his home near Stanhope. He told his parents he was going skating, and started toward the Sussex side of the lake with his skates over his shoulders, whistling cheerily as he trudged through the snow to the lake.

All that night the light kept burning in the dining room window to guide the boy home, and the parents slept very little during the long night, their anxiety for the safety of the boy being so great. Not returning at daybreak, the father notified the neighbors of the boy's disappearance. A search was at once inaugurated, and it was learned that the lad had met a number of boys before he reached the lake, and they had asked him to join them in some outdoor sports, but he declined, as he had made up his mind to go skating, and went on alone toward the lake.

This was the last seen of the boy alive. The searchers then went on to the lake, and made a close inspection of it from one end to the other, but not a break into the ice was to be found. The only openings were a number of air holes. Grappling irons were dropped through these holes and the bottom of the lake dragged. Dynamite was discharged in large quantities in the hope that the body would be thereby brought to the surface, but all efforts were unavailing. Mr. Stecker offered one hundred dollars reward for the recovery of his son's body, and dozens of searchers clustered about the lake for several weeks searching and watching for the body, but all were alike unsuccessful. A diver from New York was employed to come to the lake, and he was also unsuccessful in discovering the body, and stated that if it had settled in the mud the body would never be recovered.

The boy's father was positive that William had been drowned, until weeks past by and spring came, and then, when the ice had melted and men in boats were unable, after rowing over the entire lake, to discover any trace of the body, this theory of the disappearance was given up, and it was believed by many that, tired of farm life, the boy had decided to go to the city and seek his fortune. The father found great comfort in this theory and they were never tired of talking about what a great man their William would be when he came back home.

On Wednesday morning when Captain Todd on the side wheel steamer Hopatcong was making his way toward Mt. Arlington the engineer saw the body of a man floating in the water. The steamer was backed up toward the body, a rope was fastened to it, and it was towed tot he shore and fastened to the dock. It was at once recognized by the clothes and the things in the pockets as the body of young Stecker. The skates were fastened to his feet and a skating cap was pulled down over his ears. The fish had eaten away the face and the hands. The body was taken out of the water Wednesday afternoon and buried on Thursday. The father was completely prostrated as he looked upon the body, and cried out, "Oh, my baby." The mother had died when he was only two years old, and the father had promised her he would always care for him.

100 years ago

June 20, 1918

Charlie Chaplin, The Movie

Goes up in a blaze at Park Theatre

Last Saturday evening just as the people were assemblying at the Park Theatre for the first show of moving pictures, the three score of men, women and children in the theatre were startled by a dense volume of smoke floating out from the upper balcony under the ceiling of the auditorium. At the same time they were notified by the young man in charge of the operating booth that the interior of the booth was ablaze. The audience quickly left the theatre in good order, while the young man closed the door of the fire proof booth and allowed the fire to burn out, confining the damage to the operating room. The young man says when he opened the door of the booth he saw a spark drop, and instantly a dense volume of smoke shot out and the interior was in flames. He then closed the door and gave the alarm. The firemen promptly responded, but their services were not needed as the fire proof prevented the flames from spreading to the main theatre. The loss is estimated at $500 above the insurance. Eight reels, two of the Chaplin class, were destroyed. Mr. Martin visited New York on Monday, and will re-open his popular play house this Thursday evening.

75 years ago

June 17, 1943

What to write to servicemen

Tell him:

1. How the family is doing everything possible to help in the war.

2. How anxious the family is for the boy's return.

3. How well and busy the family is. Give details.

4. How the family is getting along financially.

5. What's doing in the community: News about girls (single) he knows, doings of friends, who's marrying whom, exploits of the home team and other sport events, social doings, effects of the war on the home town. Reminisce a little about past events and places they boy used to visit. Enclose clippings from the hometown paper.

Don't tell him:

1. Your troubles. He has troubles of his own.

2. Your complaints. He can't do anything about them.

3. About things you are deprived of. He can't supply them.

4. Doleful predictions. He's fighting for that future -- now.

5. Unnecessary details about financial troubles. If there are things he should know about family finances, and he is a position to do something about the situation, tell him. But don't string it out.

50 years ago

June 23, 1968

Police are probing post office theft

VERNON -- Forced entries into the Vernon Township Post Office and the Show-Off Cafe, both on Route 94, and the theft of about $100 in change from the post office are being investigated by state police from the Sussex barracks.

Detective Lawrence DeVuyst said entry to each building was gained by breaking a door. DeVuyst said the post office safe was forced open.

The breaking and enterings occurred late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. Postmaster William Nagle discovered the broken door into the post office when he arrived for work Thursday, with DeVuyst finding the breaking and entering at the cafe when he was called to investigate the post office theft.

DeVuyst explained that although nothing appeared to be missing from the cafe, which was scheduled to open for business this weekend, the business was vandalized.

25 years ago

June 18, 1993

Two JCP&L linemen get stuck up in air

Men stranded when truck breaks

ANDOVER TWP. -- William Aukema and Keith Vriga found themselves with their heads in the clouds Thursday afternoon. Literally.

A sudden hitch in an otherwise routine transformer hookup at the township municipal building left the pair of JCP&L linemen stuck for an hour about 25 feet off the ground in the bucket of a repair truck.

The two had been working on the municipal building's renovation when "the truck just went out of commission. It just wouldn't work anymore," said Aukema, 52.

After about an hour of bird-watching, Aukema and Vriga, 33, were rescued when a second bucket truck was called to the scene to pluck them to safety.

Aukema said that nothing like this has ever happened in the many years he's been a lineman with the electric company. So was he scared?

"No," he said. "This is my job. I've been doing it for 30 years and Keith has been for 15. But it's a good thing it wasn't raining or freezing out."

Needless to say, the incident resulted in an unexpected and rather welcome afternoon break for the crew. "If it was up to us, we would have left them up there," said co-worker Orin Babcock.

In Case You Missed It

HAMBURG -- Hamburg resident Lisaann Van Blarcom Permunian is absolutely elated after tracing her ancestors back to 1634, and in doing so, has been accepted for membership in Descendants of Founders of New Jersey.